Undernourished and Overlooked: A Global Nutrition Crisis in Adolescent Girls and Women
2023
This report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) examines the latest evidence on the status, trends, and inequities in the nutritional status of adolescent girls and women worldwide. Analyzing data from over 190 countries, the 2022 report highlights the global nutrition crisis in girls and women of reproductive age (15-49)– focusing primarily on undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and anemia, which impact the most vulnerable girls and women in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). The report finds that more than 1 billion adolescent girls and women suffer from undernutrition, nutrient deficiencies, and anemia, with global progress moving too slowly. The authors discuss the several factors deepening the nutrition crisis for girls, including gender gaps in food insecurity and a growing food crisis intensified by conflict, climate disasters, and economic shocks–which disproportionately affect women and girls. The report presents nutrition outcomes and data by region and examines the barriers girls and women face in accessing nutritious diets, services, and care. The report also provides recommendations for addressing the nutrition crisis that spans improvements in nutrition governance, food systems, and social protection programs for girls and women worldwide.
The report is accompanied by an executive summary and a statistical booklet, which presents key statistics on children’s and women’s nutrition globally.
Undernourished and Overlooked: A Global Nutrition Crisis in Adolescent Girls and Women
Source:
Undernourished and Overlooked: A Global Nutrition Crisis in Adolescent Girls and Women. United Nations Children's Fund 2023. https://data.unicef.org/resources/undernourished-and-overlooked.